Here is Part 1 of an article I wrote on the SCHV cartridges some time ago. It may be in the forum archives too. I can’t remember if I posted it here. I have a few of the Gustafson cartridges, If anyone is interested I can dig out photos and post them.
Ray
[i]In early 1952, Aberdeen Proving Ground was given verbal approval of a proposal to investigate the merit of small-caliber, high-velocity cartridges for use in rifles and carbines. If old guard Ordnance Department officers had known that this seemingly harmless project would eventually lead to adoption of the M16 rifle and the 5.56x45 cartridge, there probably would have been a concentrated effort to nip it in the bud. But, they didn’t and there wasn’t.
The project leader was Gerald A. Gustafson, Chief, Small Arms and Aircraft Weapons Branch. Because of the project’s low priority and small budget, Gustafson took a very practical approach. All fixtures, barrels, chambering reamers, loading dies, and test carbines were made by the Weapons Branch gunsmith shop. Ammunition was assembled using commercial components and standard loading presses. Gustafson himself, being an expert marksman, even participated in the test firing.
In summary, a standard caliber 30, M2 carbine was modified to fire a new caliber 22 cartridge by fitting and chambering a new barrel contoured to the standard carbine profile. The cartridge itself was fabricated by shortening commercial 222 Remington cases to 1.320", loaded with 41 grain Sisk Super Lovell bullets ahead of IMR 4198 or 4227 powders. Gustafson was obviously a wildcatter at heart.
Over the course of the next nine months the cartridge was subjected to the usual pressure, functioning, velocity, penetration, and accuracy tests. It was concluded that the carbine was capable of good performance when firing 22 caliber bullets in excess of 3000 fps. When compared with the cal 30 M2 it was found to be superior in all respects. It was recommended that five carbines and 20,000 rounds of ammunition be procured and further tested to learn if the combination offered any military advantages over what was currently employed. The cartridge was included in the SALVO I tests in 1956.
While the CAL 22 CARBINE, as Gustafson called it, was not developed further it was the opening salvo (pun intended) of the Small Caliber High Velocity concept. The horse was out of the barn. Subsequent attempts to put it back would be in vain.[/i]